Wales show spirit but Springboks just have too much in reserve

■By ROGER PANTING Wales.................................. 13pts Tries: Lake 30 Conversions: Costelow 30 Penalties: Costelow 7, 34 South Africa .....................41pts Tries: Kriel 3,...

Gatland: I saw lots of positives out there

WELSH head coach Warren Gatland was still upbeat about his side’s performance after their defeat to the current wold champions. Wales...

Lake gives body and soul to lift Wales

PETER JACKSON Powerhouse: Dewi Lake, left, bursts over for Wales and Mason Grady, right PICTURES: Getty Images THE sixth best team...

Why less might not be more for stars

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED MARTIN Johnson spent a rugby eternity perfecting his survival skills in the engine room of the scrum...

Mercer merited a place on tour

ZACH Mercer did not return to England with the intention of not playing for England, any more than this columnist expected...

Sensational Warriors hold on to defy Bulls

By LUKE JARMYN Bulls .................................... 16pts Glasgow Warriors .......... 21pts Tries: Van Staden 24 Conversions: Goosen 25 Penalties: Goosen 1, 14,...

Smith: I’ll celebrate with a whisky

GLASGOW head coach and ex-Bulls playmaker Franco Smith stated he wouldn’t renegade on his “promise to have a cigar and a...

Sing is on song for a double triumph

■By MARK STEVENS Gloucester-Hartpury.... 36pts Bristol Bears ................... 24pts Tries: Hunt 25, Hendy 54, Sing 58, Venner 62, Jones 68 Conversions:...

This will be tricky to take – Ward

BRISTOL Bears head coach Dave Ward refused to be too downbeat despite seeing his side’s slip to defeat in their first-ever...

Clarke on rampage as Blues take gold

By LUKE JARMYN Blues...................................41pts Chiefs .................................10pts Tries: A Ioane 12, Clarke 21, 50, 61, Lam 72 Conversions: Plummer 13, 22, 51,...

DREAM TEAM

NATHAN BONNER-EVANS, THE FORMER WALES A, NEATH, SWANSEA, OSPREYS, SALE SHARKS AND LONDON WELSH BACK-ROW FORWARD, CHOOSES HIS BEST XV FROM...

Etzebeth puts it on the line

PETER JACKSON Rising high: Peter O’Mahony, left, competes at the lineout with Eben Etzebeth PICTURE: Getty Images EBEN Etzebeth has never...

SpongeBob glad of his place in the Oldies XV

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW TWENTY years ago this very week on the banks of the Clyde, New...

When two tribes go to war

PAUL REES SAYS IRELAND’S TWO-TEST SHOWDOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE THE REAL THINGAND NOT A FUND-RAISER THE pick of the...

I was offered a NFL trial but it was too big a risk

MY LIFEIN RUGBY IAN DAVEY THE FORMER BATH, BEDFORD, EL SALVADOR AND PERTEMPS BEES WINGER WHEN I was 16, in my...

Five-day schedule will not be easy

OLAMIDE SODEKE ENGLAND U2O SECOND ROW AS A team, we’ve come off a big high of winning the Six Nations, so...

Fantastic four-timer the aim for French

FRANCE Three-time reigning champions France will be hoping to do what only New Zealand have done before and win four U20s...

The Baby Blacks eye return to top form

NEW ZEALAND Fresh from winning the inaugural Rugby Championship U20 tournament, six-time winners New Zealand will be desperate to make up...

Spanish relishing their dream debut

SPAIN This year’s newcomers are Spain but the Lions face a tough task in their first-ever World Championship. Spain qualified last...

Woodman back to fire up Wales

U20S WORLD CUP POOL A WALES By BEN JAYCOCK Wales are thankful they can call upon the services of captain Ryan...

Wallaby juniors set sights on a maiden win

AUSTRALIA Australia head coach Nathan Grey has named six fresh faces in his squad to contest the World Championship. The Junior...

Bullish Irish plan to go one better

U20S WORLD CUP POOL B IRELAND By BEN JAYCOCK New Ireland head coach Willie Faloon has continued with Munster’s Evan O’Connell...

Georgia to build on England victory

GEORGIA Georgia will be full of confidence going into the tournament following their big win over England this month. The Junior...

Youthful Italians keen on fresh start

ITALY Italy go into this year’s edition under a new head coach in Roberto Santamaria who has picked 17 forwards and...

Boks bid to improve on bronze finish in ’23

SOUTH AFRICA Captain Zachary Porthen will lead tournament hosts South Africa into battle and is one of five players who will...

England’s hopes are high after Six Nations

U20S WORLD CUP POOL C ENGLAND By BEN JAYCOCK Six Nations winners England go into the tournament as one of the...

Proud Argentinians flying flag for Americas

ARGENTINA Argentina have confirmed a 30-man roster for the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship, with Los Pumita the only Americas representative...

Exciting Fiji know tough task awaits

FIJI Fiji head coach Ifereimi Rawaqa has named an exciting 30-member squad for the World Rugby Championship. Rawaqa said it has...

CONOR BYRNE

YOUNG GUNS ENGLAND U20S FULL BACK England U20s full back Conor Byrne balances his time at Harlequins by going back and...

Diamond must find gems for Newcastle

PAUL REES ASSESSES THE CHALLENGES AHEAD FACING STEVE DIAMOND, THE MAN AT THE TOP AT KINGSTON PARK IT SEEMED that the...

West are best as Joe settles historic clash

North West........35pts North East..........28pts By MIKE BROWN On the charge: North West make a break PICTURES: Paul Cooke IN what is...

Honesty is best policy, says Old Reds’ Cox

Coach to Coach Steve Hill puts the questions to Dan Cox, below, head coach at Bristol-based club Old Redcliffians Why did...

We’re all heading in different directions

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Sunday Mixed signals: The Championship is being seen as development tool –...

It’s double delight for Devon on final day

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS DEVON and Hampshire claimed the honours in the second day of the County Championships final weekend at Twickenham last...

An explosion of young talent…

BRENDAN GALLAGHER LOOKS BACK AT THE 1974 ENGLAND SCHOOLS TEAM’S TOUR OF AUSTRALIA Over the coming weeks, Brendan Gallagher will be...

Ntamack makes sure for Toulouse

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN RONAN O’Gara must be wondering what he has to do for his La Rochelle side to beat...

Showcasing a Touch of class to the world

Chris Wearmouth previews the Touch Rugby World Cup, taking place in Nottingham next month WORLD Cup cycles provide a handy barometer...

The Art of Choosing the Right Online Casino for the Best Deposit Bonuses

Selecting the right online casino is crucial to maximizing the benefits of deposit bonuses. With so many options available, it can...

From the Sidelines to the Spotlight: The Evolution of Rugby in Portugal

Rugby in Portugal has a rich and dynamic history, reflecting the sport’s growth from modest beginnings to a respected presence on...

Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Conan to miss Ireland Tests against South Africa

Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and back-rower Jack Conan will miss Ireland’s two-Test series against world champions South Africa, whilst head coach Andy...

The Evolution of Rugby: Modern Trends Shaping the Game

Rugby has always been a sport rich in tradition, but recent years have brought about modern trends that are transforming the...

Dogos claim maiden Super Rugby Americas Title

By Joe Santamaria A superb performance from Dogos saw them finally clinch their maiden Super Rugby Americas title against fellow countrymen Pampas. After falling...

Eddie Jones’ mind games will not unsettle England against Japan – Jamie George

Jones’ seven-year Twickenham stewardship ended 18 months ago because of an ongoing decline in results and he is now back in...

England Want to Use Six Nations Learning in Japan

After a better Six Nations Championship in 2024, the English side will now face Japan in an international fixture.  The 2024...

Marcus Smith given the keys as Borthwick goes all guns blazing

By Tom Jeffreys Steve Borthwick has decided there is no room for experimentation as he names his strongest squad for this...

Why do rugby players enjoy online casino games?

A recent report revealed that there are approximately 32 million online gaming accounts in the UK. This figure shows the immense...

What Went Wrong for the Welsh Women and Can They Fix It? 

As we conclude another Six Nations season, the Wales women’s team seems to have had a fair share of struggles throughout...

Devon and Hampshire claim county glory at Twickenham in style

By LUKE JARMYN Devon and Hampshire claimed the honours in the second day of the County Championships final weekend at Twickenham...

Deadlock broken as promotion restored

By NICK CAIN Promotion and relegation between the Premiership and Championship has been restored from next season after the Championship clubs...

Battling Glasgow grab final chance

By SAM JACKSON Glasgow stunned champions Munster 17-10 at Thomond Park last night to secure a place in the United Rugby...